22/09/2025
Global Missionary Work: A Fulfilled Prophecy
“…the gospel would go ‘unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.’”
— Mosiah 3:20; 3 Nephi 21:28
More than two thousand years ago, prophets recorded in the Book of Mormon that the gospel of Jesus Christ would go forth to the whole earth. At that time, the thought of such a prophecy coming true seemed beyond imagination. Travel was slow, dangerous, and limited to small regions. Most people lived and died without leaving their homeland. Yet God, who knows the end from the beginning, revealed to His prophets that the day would come when the message of His Son would roll forth across nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples.
We are living in that very day. What was once only a prophecy on sacred plates has become a visible reality in our time.
Prophecy Fulfilled Before Our Eyes
Missionary work is not a human program. It is divine. It is the very fulfillment of prophecy, evidence that God is moving His work forward in preparation for the return of His Son. Every young man or woman who puts on a name tag that reads “Jesus Christ,” every senior couple who leaves home to serve, and every testimony of the Savior shared in another language are modern witnesses that God keeps His word.
Today there are 450 missions across the globe, the highest number in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More than 72,000 full-time missionaries serve with faith and sacrifice. Thousands of senior couples and service missionaries add their strength, blessing lives in ways both seen and unseen. The Church now has more than 17.5 million members gathered into over 31,000 congregations. And the Book of Mormon, once buried in a hillside in upstate New York, has been translated into more than 100 languages so that God’s children can hear His voice in their own tongue.
These are not random achievements. They are the unfolding of the Lord’s plan. They are the realization of promises given by ancient prophets and reaffirmed by living ones.
The Miracle Behind the Numbers
The numbers themselves are remarkable, but the true miracle lies in the individual stories.
Somewhere today a missionary is teaching a family about Jesus Christ for the very first time. In Africa, parents and children are gathering under a humble roof to pray and sing hymns together after reading the Book of Mormon in their own language. In Asia, a young adult is finding peace through repentance and baptism. In South America, a congregation is welcoming new converts who bring fresh testimonies of Christ’s love. In Europe, senior missionaries are strengthening struggling branches and helping the faithful not feel alone. In North America, thousands are rediscovering Christ’s gospel in a noisy and divided world.
Each of these moments is part of the living fulfillment of prophecy. They are the quiet miracles that show us the Lord is in this work.
Prophets Testify of the Gathering
President Russell M. Nelson has emphasized that missionary work is part of a much larger divine purpose:
“Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”
(“Let God Prevail,” General Conference, Oct. 2020)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland likewise bore testimony of the sacred urgency of missionary work:
“God will always call the best when the best is needed. Now, and always, the best is needed. We are witnesses of Christ and bearers of the truth He taught. That truth must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.”
(“We Are All Enlisted,” General Conference, Oct. 2011)
Their words echo the prophecy of the Book of Mormon and remind us that this is the Lord’s gathering, not man’s.
Why This Matters
The global reach of the gospel is not about building statistics. It is about building Zion. It is about gathering Israel, one soul at a time, as the Savior prepares to return. The spread of the gospel across the earth testifies that God is mindful of all His children, in every nation, culture, and circumstance. It shows us that His promises are sure.
When we see missionaries on the street, when we open the Book of Mormon in our own language, when we hear testimonies from Saints in distant lands, we are not just seeing people and programs. We are seeing prophecy fulfilled.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is going to “every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” The Lord is hastening His work. The earth is being prepared for the great day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.
The prophecy of the Book of Mormon is true. Its fulfillment is happening now. And the invitation remains the same as it has always been: come unto Christ.
